Serafina Ballerini ’26, a dual national of Italy and Switzerland, has secured a place to study Science and Engineering for Social Change at University College London (UCL). Her admission follows offers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of Bristol, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Leeds. Ballerini aspires to become an engineer for the United Nations Development Program. Her journey at TASIS spanned thirteen years, beginning in Kindergarten and culminating in a Bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma in English and Italian with a score of 36 points. Her commitment to community service earned her the J. Michael Horak Award in grade 11, given to a student who gives spontaneously and tirelessly to the needs of the student body. At the Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony, she received the H. Miller Crist Award, the highest recognition accorded by the faculty to a senior who best embodies the school’s ideals. Beyond academics, Ballerini was a prefect for the Residential Life program and competed on the Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Track & Field teams. In Middle School, she was part of the Robotics team that represented Switzerland at the 2022 FIRST Championship World Festival in Houston, Texas. Her involvement extended to backstage crew for a school musical, the Journalism Fellowship, the TASIS Speaker Series Committee, Dante Club, and Ski Club. In an interview after graduation, Ballerini reflected on her accomplishments, noting that her role as a prefect brought her deep fulfillment through relationships with students. She also took pride in her varsity jacket pins, relay school records, championships, and MVP, Coaches’, and Pride awards. A CAS project she co-created with Alessia Primo—a family field day for the EI Cure Project—raised approximately CHF 2000 and is hoped to become a tradition. Ballerini credited the IB for preparing her for college-level work, especially through extended essays and internal assessments, and said the international environment taught her to understand cultures worldwide. She described the College Counseling Office as a safe space and support system during her final two years.
Ballerini found inspiration in the Red Cross Service Learning group, the TASIS Speaker Series, and the Global Service Program, which showed her that small contributions can make an immeasurable difference. She also drew motivation from her classmates, who demonstrated how to balance rigorous classes with extracurriculars and taught her perseverance. Among the teachers she will remember most fondly are Mr. Laurent, Ms. Liz, Ms. Veronica, Ms. Milena, Mr. Alava, Ms. MacLean, Mr. Bianchini, Dr. Kelly, Dr. Merritt, Ms. De Bianchi, Mr. Yo, and Mr. Morton. In High School, she cherished Chemistry with Ms. Rod, Physics with Mr. Bleckel, IB AI HL with Ms. Nijssen, and 10th-grade Honors English with its trip to Florence. She also thanked Ms. Sabetta, her advisors Ms. Wiens, Ms. Schumaker, Mr. Roccato, and Ms. Chevalier, as well as Mr. Mendes, Mr. Zanecchia, Ms. Fritz, Mr. Lill, and Mr. Gordon for their support. Ballerini said she will miss TASIS as a second home, carrying memories of her childhood across a campus that has changed over the years. She will also miss Academic Travel trips and Ski Club outings, such as earning a scuba license in the Canary Islands and skiing in the mountains with friends. These experiences, she noted, provided core memories that will remind her of her time at the school wherever she goes.
